Introduction
If you have been in the market for a new computer, you may have been overwhelmed with the geeky jargon floating around in the tech community. According to
Handy, you don't need to know all the intricacies of the motherboard, and VRM temps to know about the computer you need. It would be best if you had something that will fit your requirements and is simple to use. Here are things to keep in mind when buying a new computer:
The Elements
1. RAM - Acronym for Random Access Memory, you should not confuse it with the storage capacity of your computer. Instead of the data on your PC, RAM stores the system processes and data from applications when they are used. The computer does its calculations with that memory in real-time.
Browsers like Google Chrome have an excellent appetite for it, and so do many other applications like Adobe Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Blender, and more. If you need to use numerous applications at the same time or work with memory-intensive applications a lot, then it's better to have more RAM. For light tasks, an 8GB stick would be excellent.
2. Processor - The computer's brain keeps getting more efficient and more powerful every day, and with more generations and Gigahertz, it's a confusing mess. If you want an entry-level machine that can do light tasks like web browsing, document editing, and reading, go for a 9th or 10th generation i3 processor from Intel. You can also go for a 3rd generation AMD Ryzen 3 processor if you want more bang for your buck.
Depending on your requirements, you climb the scale and replace that i3 with i5, i7, or i9. If you want to pay for team red, you replace that Ryzen 3 with Ryzen 5, 7, or 9. If you're going to go all out, you can go for the Threadripper series of processors from AMD.
3. Storage - There are two types of storage that dominate the current market. HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and SSD (Solid State Drive). The former uses mechanical, magnetic disks to store your data while the latter uses chips and has no moving parts. If you are on a tight budget, go for the HDD. However, if you can afford it, SSDs are worth it for their high data transfer rate. They are blazingly fast and lighter than HDDs.
4. Display - Whether you go for a laptop or desktop PC, screen size is totally up to your personal preference. However, you want to have displays that have high resolution and refresh rates so that you don't have to deal with pixelated text and input lags. 1080p is already very common, and the industry has almost transitioned to 2K or 1440p. You want something that gives you higher pixel density on your screen and at least 75 HZ or refresh rate.
Conclusion
Handy suggests that you keep these things in mind when you buy your next computer, and if you don't want to pay for the Windows license key, you can always go for a free, open-source operating system like Ubuntu.
